KOREA FOUNDATION

1. Please briefly introduce yourself.

 

I am Jeong Dahye and I work on horsehair crafts based on Joseon dynasty techniques of horsehair weaving. I am greatly impressed by the beauty and strength of horsehair and try to express my desired course of life through my craft.

2. Horsehair crafts are one of Korea’s indigenous and most creative handicrafts with over 500 years of history. Could you please describe your art in detail?

Horsehair is hair from the mane or tail of a horse, and horsehair crafts create useful items using such hair. During the Joseon era, horsehair was used to make manggeon (headband for a man’s topknot), tanggeon (skullcap worn over manggeon), and gat (a male hat for going out).

The most amazing thing about horsehair crafts is transforming the hair into three-dimensional objects and the craftwork’s natural luster. Horsehair is literally hair from a horse, yet it becomes a solid and self-subsistent thing if meticulously woven with a needle. To make a three-dimensional object with horsehair, I must repeatedly link short hair and weave them delicately. In other words, I devote my time to my craft, and as my working days pile up, the horsehair is turned into solid and independent three-dimensional objects. This process in itself speaks for my works. I felt jittery when starting the craft because I resumed my university education at the time. I wasn’t sure if I could do both. Then I thought about the notion that even simple horsehair can become three-dimensional objects, and told myself that I could become something, too. Furthermore, horsehair shines by letting light pass through it. I was deeply touched by the nature of horsehair that shines and transforms itself and it became a mirror reflecting the life I wanted, one that takes form and shines by itself.

3. How do you feel about being the first Korean to win the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize in June 2022?

I used to agonize over the gap between my dream and reality as my work hardly ensured a livelihood. When I felt stuck or uneasy, I immersed myself more in horsehair crafts. When I won the prize, I was truly happy as it eased not only my worry but that of my family. When I learned that I won, I was puzzled and happy at the same time. I practiced the craft just because I loved it, and when I received the award, I felt as if others told me that my work was meaningful. I was relieved and thankful in the thought that now I could work in a more relaxed mood. Horsehair crafts were a beautiful art valued throughout the Joseon dynasty but remain largely unfamiliar to people today. I always wondered if the public could love it again. To my surprise, many people showed keen interest when my works were exhibited. I felt a higher sense of gratitude about the prize as I felt that the country’s horsehair crafts won the prize rather than just myself.

4. Please tell us about your prizewinning work A Time of Sincerity (2021).

I was inspired to make A Time of Sincerity by historical artifacts. I borrowed the shape from ancient earthenware to embody horsehair’s strength and independent character. For the middle band, I put patterns copied from sabanggwan, a perfectly square headwear said to originate from the mid-Joseon era. Many exquisite patterns are shown in artifacts from that period. While working on the piece for the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, I wanted to present both the history and beauty of horsehair crafts and thus adopted the patterns from old artworks.

This work took two months to complete, and this duration of time also carries an important message of my work. Horsehair is strong enough to be made into an object but making it is impossible if the hair is strewn as is. It takes a long time for linking and braiding. They can be made into an object only after investing honest time. This is something I seek to teach myself through the ascetic practice: spending each day with sincerity to build a solid and independent life.

5. What is the difference between your works and traditional horsehair crafts?

My works are based on horsehair craft techniques of the Joseon dynasty but their shapes and uses are different from those of that era. During the Joseon period, practical hats were made from horsehair by maximizing its light yet solid nature. In comparison, I put more emphasis on the beauty of horsehair weaving and formation of three-dimensional objects, and in doing so, I strive to instill my works with my way of and attitude toward life.

6. Because horsehair is hard to find, is it difficult to acquire the material?

Demand for horsehair is rather limited on Jeju Island, which is known to be rich in horses, so horsehair production has tentatively stopped there. I use horsehair cut and provided by a rancher I know. When I need more, I get the quantity I need by mixing domestic horsehair with imports from China, Mongolia, and the US.

7. Please tell us about your plans for exhibitions and other activities.

When beginning horsehair crafts, I mainly thought about the development of merchandises. I used to ponder how and in what form the craft could be revived and created and sold things like mobiles and necklaces. It was fun to make such items but I was frustrated over being unable to fully express the inspiration I got from horsehair and fulfill my artistic potential. I sincerely wanted to convey the strength, endurance, and independent nature of horsehair.

I love prehistoric artifacts because I can feel the power of hands in them. I thought I could deliver the power of horsehair I felt through simple forms like comb-pattern pottery and began to make objects resembling earthenware. I now create earthenware-style works in a variety of shapes and sizes. From May 8, I will have a solo exhibition in London for a week.

8. As an artist promoting Korean horsehair crafts to the world, what are your ultimate goals?

Horsehair crafts were just fun at first. I was charmed by horsehair and the fiber threads woven into objects. But I now feel a sense of mission. I know that horsehair crafts are pretty much dead and can never regain the popularity they had during the Joseon era. But studying the craft, I came to gaze into the period’s aesthetics and culture. Looking closely at sabanggwan (headwear of the mid-Joseon period), I felt a sense of the beauty and culture of those times, and even the personal inclination of the wearer, and this was an intriguing experience. The disappearance of a craft means the vanishing of a cultural branch and spiritual path of our country. I am still in my 30s, so as long as I work on them, horsehair crafts might survive scores of years and many will be able to enjoy its beauty. With a little sense of mission, I will strive to better preserve and spread the charms of the horsehair crafts I discovered.